Saturday, October 17, 2009

I totally forgot to post that I will be speaking at the Dharma Punx/Against The Stream center in Hollywood tomorrow at 11 AM (Sunday October 18, 2009). Tha address is 4300 Melrose (btw Heliotrope and Vermont), Los Angeles, CA 90029. All are welcome, no experience necessary.

I just found out only moments ago that Dickie Peterson, bassist and leader of the legendary heavy metal pioneers BLUE CHEER died on Monday. The official obituary is here. My friend John Battles said there's an obit out there somewhere by the NY Times or someone like that, that references John's own interview with Dickie. That would be worth checking out. John's the consummate Blue Cheer fan and I'm sure it's a great interview.

I first read about Blue Cheer in the dog-eared copy of the 1969 edition of Lillian Roxon's Rock Encyclopedia -- it was the most up-to-date book about rock and roll in the Wadsworth High School library circa 1979 or so (that book was like The Bible to me for a couple years). According to the book Blue Cheer's sound on their first album, Vinecbus Eruptum, was so loud it "turned the air into cottage cheese." I knew I had to find that album! But, alas, at the time it was long out of print.

I finally located a copy at a flea market held at the school's football stadium. The record was so badly warped it looked like a giant pepperoni. You could have eaten cereal out of that thing! Yet amazingly it still played. And, indeed, it was the loudest thing I'd ever heard. Even at low volume that record screamed.

That album was a huge influence on my own musical life. I must have listened to it hundreds of times. Or at least it seemed so.

I never knew Dickie or even got to see the band during their recent reformation, which I've heard was even better than their classic year. Such a shame. Now I never will get to see the mighty Blue Cheer in person and I'm sad.